Headphones And Homiletics

What Does Sin Have To Do With It?During Advent, we love to think about the little baby in a manger. We're reminded of the magi and the shepherds coming to worship the young son of Mary. Even more, Christmas gives us an opportunity to remember the incarnation of Jesus, which means that God the Son became a man.

One thing that doesn't often come to our minds at Christmas is sin. Who wants to dampen the holiday joy by talking about something depressing like sin? It isn't usually at the top of the list for Christmas dinner conversations, huh?

We don't have the choice to ignore sin at Christmas because it is the very reason Jesus came.

Sin Has Devastating EffectsIf you've been following the Advent reading guide I posted last week, you may have found it strange that an Advent guide took us back to the garden of Eden and spends four more days talking about sin. This wasn't by accident.

What we see in Genesis 3:1-19 is that Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sinned. Sin hindered their relationship with God and they were no longer at peace with Him. By Genesis 6:5, sin is so ugly that it has consumed the hearts of all people. When sin entered through Adam and Eve, death came to us all. Every single one of us has a death sentence waiting for us because of sin (Romans 6:23).

God is perfectly holy and perfectly just. This means He must punish sin (Job 34:1-10). This news is heartbreaking for every person alive. The 7 billion people living on this planet deserve the punishment for sin right now, and the Holy God of scripture can't just sweep it under the rug. No matter how we think we can get around it, unless God forgives us, we have no hope (Mark 2:7).

What's In A Name?As you consider the birth of Jesus, you may easily overlook a momentous scene tucked neatly into Matthew's gospel. After Joseph found out his betrothed virgin Mary was pregnant, he was considering silently divorcing her. It was in this moment that God stepped in and sent a message that was utterly earthshaking:

"Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”-Matthew 1:20b-21

Did you catch it? Jesus came to solve humanity's greatest problem—sin. Jesus' name means, "Yahweh (or Jehovah) saves." He is the Savior who "will save his people from their sins."

The atoning work of Jesus is found in His very name! What a glorious reminder this Christmas that the eternal Son of God didn't just come to be a carpenter, preach good messages, do good deeds, heal sick bodies, and provide an example of good morality. Far more than that, He came to die on a cross to save people from sin and restore them to a relationship with the triune (three-in-one) God of the Universe.

Have you been saved from sin? When is the last time you thanked God for that? Share the testimony of Christ's work in your life with friends and family this Christmas season!

Love Came Down At Christmasby Sinclair Ferguson brings the message of Christ’s love to you in a unique and special way. Rather than simply focusing on traditional Christmas themes or sections of scripture, Ferguson chose to walk readers through 1 Corinthians 13—the Bible’s famous love chapter.

He reminds us that the words of 1 Corinthians 13 can profoundly move us during the Advent season. We are shown that “when you slow them down, and read them phrase by phrase, and apply them to yourself, they transpose into a different key altogether. They cease to be rhetorically pleasing and emotionally soothing; instead they become an analysis of your spiritual life. They are deeply challenging” (p. 11).

Each day, you get a little bit of exposition, Ferguson’s warm personality and affectionate teaching style, and Christ-focused application. You also get some helpful reflection questions and poetic prayers from various saints throughout church history. The concise, truth-packed chapters are a wonderful way to start each day leading up to Christmas.

If you want a soul-searching, heart-warming devotional this Advent season, look no further thanLove Came Down At Christmas.It’s still early, so you can order your copy on Kindle or paperback today!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to leave a positive review.

A Small Taste Of The Glory Of ChristGod’s presence brings joy to His people (Psalm 16:11). This devotional guide gives you a small taste of the glory of Christ found in God’s Word. Don’t be surprised if you plan to spend 15 minutes and end up enjoying an hour with God! We were created for this. Our sole purpose in life is to worship and enjoy God forever.

How To Use This GuideThe goal is not to just get through the reading for the day and check the box (wait, there is no box!). Pick a time, pick a place, and maybe pick some people to read with. Early birds, get up and have your coffee with the Lord. Night owls, ditch Netflix and enjoy time with Christ.

As you read, I recommend the following basic steps (ARMY):

Ask God to prepare your heart and mind to receive the Word with humility.

Read the passage with a pen or pencil in hand. Underline key words and phrases. Take brief notes in the margin or in a notebook, but remember thatthis is not an in-depth Bible study.

Meditate on a passage or truth from your reading throughout the day. Ask three questions: How does this reading lead me to love God more? How does this reading lead me to love my neighbor more? How does the passage show my need for God's grace to love God and my neighbor?

Yield to God’s will by praying for transforming grace to obey His Word. Confess your sin, trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus, and consider specific ways to apply the teaching of the passages to your life.

To be honest, you may not feel like doing this some days. Find a believer to read and meditate with. You can keep each other encouraged and accountable as you use this as an opportunity to spur on discipleship for next year!

Before You Get StartedBefore you get started with this Advent guide, I want you to take 5 minutes to ask yourself a few questions. I know, I know, you don’t have time to stop and wait, right? But seriously stop and ask yourself these questions:Why am I doing this? Will God love me less if I fail? Will He love me more if I do well? Is this just something I’m doing to look more spiritual?

If you decide to wake up earlier, stay up later, or give up some time during your lunch break to spend time with Christ, don’t just go through the motions. Remind yourself that the blessed saints are the ones who meditate day and night (Psalm 1). Abiding in Christ will lead to fullness of joy (John 15:1-11). The God of the universe is worth more than any gift you will receive this Christmas.

Food, Family, Football, and Fantastic SalesThanksgiving is an amazing time of year for most of us in America. There's a huge feast, family time, and great football.

​Then there's Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year for many of us. There are some insane deals on stuff we've been waiting all year to get. Many stores are open before we have time to finish praying over Thanksgiving dinner.

Has Thanksgiving just become the day we eat an oversized, coma-inducing meal that fuels us up for Black Friday shopping? Instead of thankfulness, it often reminds us of the things we needed but didn't remember until we saw the commercials.

On Black Friday, we're bombarded with the idea that there is never enough.

In a sad, twisted irony, Black Friday has become yet another opportunity to indulge the covetousness that so defines our materialistic culture the rest of the year.

Covetousness Is UniversalYou know what I'm talking about, don't you? All year you've wanted to get your hands that new iPhone you keep seeing at work. You've stared at that pair of Jordan's at the mall for too long now.

​That kitchen upgrade you couldn't afford suddenly seems reasonable. Regardless of what it is, you feel the draw. You reason with yourself, "How do I pass up that big of deal?!" or "I'd be stupid not to buy it today while the price is this low!".

I get it. Some people genuinely don't struggle with materialism or an intense desire for shopping. We can use Black Friday to serve others and to steward our money well. I'm not against Black Friday itself. In fact, I plan to make use of good deals this year, too. We just need to check our hearts and motives as we do our Black Friday shopping each year.

We all covet something, though. Even if you hate Black Friday and the commercialism of Christmas, there's always something. What is it that would make your life worthwhile if you could have it? Is it the perfect family? Is it a spouse? Is it a raise? Whatever it is, we need to take covetousness seriously because God takes it seriously.

Bowing At The Altar?How many of us would bow down and worship a tree, statue, or false god of another religion? That's outrageous! We are rational, Western Christians who know better than that! And yet, we read in the Bible these shocking words:

"Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry."
-Colossians 3:5

Does that change your perspective on that little sin of being envious of that Mercedes, iPad, perfect home, or Puritan book collection? Okay, maybe I'm the only one who covets Puritan book sets! God equates that coveting with bowing down and worshiping another god—even if that god is our own desires.

Idolatry deserves the wrath of God, doesn't it? We see that in the Word of God (Exodus 32-34). Our covetousness deserves the same wrath that a worshiper of Molech deserved in the Old Testament (Leviticus 18:21). Thankfully, for those in Christ, it was paid for by our generous Savior on the cross. Jesus drank the cup of wrath for every bit of it.​

The AntidoteBeing bitten by a venomous snake is immediately a life or death situation. In many cases, the only way to survive is to receive an antidote to reverse the effects of the venom. In the case of covetousness, God gives us an antidote in Colossians 4:2. Though not the only answer to covetousness, this antidote will benefit us in this holiday season:

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.-Colossians 4:2

There are three vital aspects to consider in our fight against covetousness:

Steadfastness in prayer:This is not a five-minute quick prayer at the beginning and end of the day. Steadfastness in prayer is like the persistent toddler who keeps begging and begging until you put batteries in their favorite toys. It's a striving and continuing in prayer because you know what you need and you know who to ask. It's praying that never gives up because we know the God who answers them.

Watchfulness in prayer: It's easy to pray forgetful prayers. We treat some prayers like a sticky note. We jot something down, shove it in our pockets, and let it fall out as we pull our phone out of our pocket. Prayer that helps us kill covetousness (and every other sin!) is watchful prayer. It is senseless for a soldier to walk carelessly in a minefield when his life is on the line. It's just as foolish for a Christian to walk blindly in this world without care. Sin is crouching at the door, and Satan is like a roaring lion waiting to devour us.

Thanksgiving in prayer: A much neglected aspect of prayer in my life is thanksgiving. I know people, like my wife, who pray and thank God for the bare necessities in every prayer. It has even rubbed off on my children. I've allowed myself to become cynical and ungrateful, often failing to thank God for the seemingly insignificant blessings of my life. This can't continue. True steadfast and watchful prayer is always accompanied by thanksgiving. Thankfulness for God's generosity is among the most powerful weapons the Christian can use in the battle with covetousness.

Christ Is GreaterUltimately, covetousness is worshiping our desires more than Christ. He is supremely more glorious and beautiful than any earthly treasure could ever be (Isaiah 4:2). When we see Him for who He is and what He has done, we will be drawn to worship. He is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). He is the radiance of God's glory and the exact imprint of His nature (Hebrews 1:3). There is no greater treasure than Christ.

How will you fight covetousness this holiday season? If you have children, how will you teach them Christ-centered thankfulness? Leave some ideas in the comments!

A Yearly ReminderThanksgiving is one of those holidays that is easy to enjoy. Good food, family time, football, and Charlie Brown are just a few highlights of the holiday for me.

As a lover of the Autumn season, I consider Thanksgiving to be the pinnacle of the fall season. When I was a kid, I would wake up to the smell of an array of amazing dishes that grabbed my taste buds and made my mouth water all day. The smooth Kenny G. collection, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and my dad's melt-in-your-mouth fudge are things I’ll never forget.

More Than A Feast Day

Though Thanksgiving was such a memorable part of my childhood, I never truly understood the connection of the holiday to actually being thankful. Now I think I get it.

Thanksgiving can be a time we set aside to worship and thank God for His generosity. There are hundreds of verses in the Bible that can show us thankfulness, command us to be thankful, or point to the God who is worthy of our thanksgiving.

​Thanksgiving can certainly be more than a feast day. As believers, we can use it as a day to display gratitude for the glorious work of our triune God in the salvation of sinners.

The Will Of God

Have you ever wondered what the will of God is for your life? Have you ever prayed for God to reveal His will? Scripture shows us that God hastwo wills: a revealed will (what we see in scripture) and a hidden will (what we don’t see until it happens).

We often gravitate toward finding the hidden will while neglecting the revealed will, don’t we? The all-knowing God of the universe doesn’t always reveal His intentions to us. We have to trust His wisdom and perfect planning as we walk through life in this fallen world.

We can know the revealed will of God. How? By opening the Bible to passages like 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Paul wrote, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” We see that thanksgiving is an aspect of God's revealed will for our lives.

​

Are You Thankful?

Rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks are God’s will. Are you rejoicing? Are you praying without ceasing? Are you thankful? This is God’s will for your life! When you are doing these things you are living as God created you to live!

As we consider being purposeful in celebrating Thanksgiving this year, here are just a few areas worthy of our meditation and prayer:

The Father’s love in sending Jesus (John 3:16)

The Father’s steadfast love toward His people (Psalm 136)

Jesus’ love in laying down His life for believers (John 15:13, 1 John 3:16)

Jesus’ continuing intercession for those who are in Him (Hebrews 7:25)

The Holy Spirit’s regenerating work to open our eyes to see the gospel (John 3:1-21)

The Holy Spirit’s continual intercession for those who are in Christ (Romans 8:26-27)

Start today. Open to John 3:16 and spend 5 or 10 minutes jotting down some meditations on the passage. Pray through those meditations by yourself and with your family.

Fathers, develop a brief devotional to share with the family before Thanksgiving dinner. Mothers, remind your children of the importance of thanksgiving and share why the gospel brings true thanksgiving in our hearts.

​Regardless of the season of life you're in, show your loved ones a Christ-centered heart of thanksgiving.

What are some other reasons to be thankful? What passages or works of God make you thankful? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Logos Bible Software is one of the greatest Bible study tools I've ever seen. I am not exaggerating when I say that! There are so many great tools in Logos that instructional courses have been created to show users how to tap into its power.

Last Christmas, I purchased Logos 7 and my library increased to 900+ books and study resources that I could access at home and on the go. Since then, I've been able to access shelves worth of bible dictionaries, original language tools, sermons, and commentaries from my smartphone!

If I encounter a difficult passage and want to see the original Greek, I don't have to grab a book from the shelf (though I love hard copies, too!). If I need to read from the Pillar New Testament Commentary or the New International Greek Testament Commentary, I can access them in seconds while enjoying a medium roast at the local coffee shop.

If I want to see propositional outlines of a passage or read a systematic theology on a given topic, I can find both with just a few mouse clicks or taps on my smartphone screen.

With all this, I've not even mentioned the Psalms explorer, Spurgeon's sermons, Themelios articles, maps, cultural concepts, and ancient Christian writings. All of these are searchable within Logos. And with these, I've still barely scratched the surface!

Logos 8 Is ImpressiveWith all the praise for Logos 7, you can imagine my wife's surprise when I asked her about upgrading to Logos 8 less than a year later.

I saw the reviews, promo videos, and new features, and a little piece of me died. OK, not exactly. But I knew I wouldn't be able to afford all the new features.

However, I decided to try the starter upgrade package (which was heavily discounted), and it has been worth every penny.

Here are my top 3 favorite features of Logos 8 Starter:

Workflows: By far, my favorite aspect of Logos 8 is the new Workflows feature. There are numerous Workflows which help you study a passage, read devotionally, and even pray. Each workflow comes with a set of prompts which instruct you on each phase of the reading or studying process. What's great about the workflows is that the Logos resources are linked within the prompt. So if it calls for you to read commentary, it will link to your commentary sets and open them on the same screen.

Notes: The Notes feature has been updated and feels much like Evernote in how notes are collected and sorted. Notes can even be pinned to all Bible translations or to a specific translation, as desired. That's pretty cool! Also, all of the Workflows are added as notes and can be used later. What a great way to use devotional thoughts in sermons, counseling sessions, and small group studies!

Dashboard: On all platforms, Logos 8 has an updated, stylish dashboard that allows users to add layouts, reading plans, devotionals, lectionary readings, or custom prayer lists. I noticed this change immediately on my mobile app, and it's a very pleasant experience. Logos has become my go-to Bible app for devotionals, reading plans, and prayer lists on my mobile devices.

A Tool For My StudiesFor me, Logos is a powerhouse Bible study tool. For the past 11 months, I've used Logos 7 to prep for every sermon I've preached. I love the quick access to the vast array of study helps. I especially enjoy the exegetical guide, which is helpful for word studies and parsing Greek verbs. The sermon editor has been an asset in creating handouts for sermons and various Bible studies, as well.

Logos 8 has taken my studying up a notch by giving me Workflows to help improve my Bible study process and decrease the amount of time that I spend searching for resources. That alone is worth the price of the upgrade!

A Tool For My Devotional LifeI'm a pencil and paper type of guy. I have notebooks all over the place, and I love jotting notes in my Interleaved ESV Journaling Bible. With the help of Logos 8, though, I can have a more focused devotional life with a digital footprint to benefit myself and others.

Instead of simply writing my thoughts and prayers in a journal, I can now type out my prayers and meditations for later use in blog posts, sermons, or personal devotions. I have a consistent, easily accessible place for the most precious moments that I spend with the Lord.

Is Logos 8 For You?Are you a pastor, lay leader, Bible teacher, or believer who wants to enhance your spiritual life? If so, Logos 8 may be a valuable tool to enhance your biblical studies and spiritual life. They have several entry points, so whether you're a starter looking to build a small library, a pastor desiring to preach better, or a scholar skilled in the original languages, Logos has something for you!

With the holiday season quickly approaching, you may be seeing the word "Advent" flying around! Is this some weird tradition that super-Christians celebrate to fight back against Christmas? Not quite. Is it something only super-spiritual or rigidly orthodox Christian partake in to shame the nominals? Not at all! Let's take a look at Advent and see how you could benefit from making it a part of your life this Christmas season.

​What is Advent?Advent is a season for Christians to anticipate the celebration of Jesus' birth with scripture reading, prayer, singing, family worship, and more. For Christians worldwide, it is the first holiday in the Christian calendar and begins four Sundays before Christmas. Advent 2018 is from December 2, 2018 to December 24th. Many churches celebrate the final day of Advent with a midnight candlelight service of scripture reading, hymn singing, and celebrating the birth of Jesus.

4 Reasons To Celebrate Advent This YearIf this is your first time hearing about Advent, you may be wondering why you should make it a part of your life. Here are four ways Advent could be a blessing to your soul:

Advent can strengthen your devotional life.It’s easy to have good intentions about focusing on Christ during the Christmas season while getting lost in the shuffle of shopping, church events, family gatherings, and other holiday festivities. A season of focusing on Christ's incarnation (becoming a human) can reorient your heart.Slowing down to meditate on the wonders of our Savior is great food for the soul.

Advent reminds you of the Father's generosity. When you consider the coming of Christ, you will be drawn to see the love of the Father who "gave His only Son" (John 3:16) in order to give us the "free gift" of eternal life found in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:23). Christmas gift-giving reflects the generosity of the greatest Giver.

Advent reminds you of the Son's love. The greatest love ever shown was when Christ came and died for His friends (John 15:13). He became poor in order that we might become rich through His poverty (2 Cor. 8:9). Meditating on the fact that the eternal Son of God came to this sin-filled earth to save sinners should enliven thanksgiving in our hearts!

Advent reminds you of the Spirit's power. The Spirit of God overshadowed Mary and placed Jesus in Mary's womb. He filled Elizabeth and caused her to overflow with praise and proclaim blessings over Mary and Jesus. He filled Zechariah and prophesied through him about the great things God has done in rescuing His people. He is the one who spoke through Simeon and Ana when they prophesied and thanked God for Christ. The Holy Spirit opens our eyes to the true beauty of Christmas.

Over the coming weeks, I plan to highlight some helpful Advent resources and themes to incorporate during Advent 2018. I also plan to provide you with a personalized reading guide with short devotions and questions that will be helpful for personal quiet times or family worship.

Will you and your family be participating in Advent this year?

How will you and your family anticipate the celebration of Christ's first coming?

Your immediate answer may be “Of course, it’s not about religion, it’s about a relationship!” That’s true indeed. But we have to accept the fact that there’s often a pretty broad gap between what we should experience and what we actually experience. So, I’ll ask you again, “Do you really enjoy God?”

That seems impossible unless you’re one of the exceptionally strong Christians, doesn’t it?

God is Enjoyable

At the heart of Enjoying God is the fact that Christians can truly know God and experience His presence in daily life. God is known in the three Persons of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We experience Him as we interact with each Person of the Triune Godhead. By faith, all believers are connected to God through the work of Christ, and this union with Christ leads to daily communion with Him. The more time we spend in communion with God, the more we will experience and enjoy Him.

BBQ Grills vs. Smokers

As a huge fan of good barbecue, I prefer the smoker to the grill. Grills are fast, easy, and make amazing barbecue. You can throw on a slab of ribs, some hamburgers and hotdogs, and some juicy steaks and have it ready in a matter of an hour or two.

Grilling never compares to a brisket that has been smoked to perfection for 18 hours over some hickory or applewood! That kind of melt-in-your-mouth meat carries the rich flavor of smoke, seasoning, and juices that can hardly be matched on a grill!

Enjoying God is a book that calls us to slow down. Each chapter has some practical application that could require a week (or more) to put into practice. As the type who loves to plow through a book in a few days or a couple weeks, at most, I benefitted from slowing down and savoring each chapter and each topic of application.

Some books are perfect for reading in a day or two. Enjoying God is not one of them. It’s like smoking a good brisket and needs time to be pondered over for a season as you apply the action steps and learn to enjoy God more.

You Could Benefit From Enjoying God

Obviously, you don’t need this book to enjoy God, but could you benefit from taking a season to read through this book, search the scriptures, and commune with God? The holidays are approaching, and the hustle and bustle of this season can tempt you to put your devotional life on hold. Don't give Christ your holiday leftovers this year.

What if during your time off from work, you used some of that free time to read and pray more? What if your Advent devotional time (more to come on Advent soon!) could be used to enjoy God more this December? Enjoying God can be a good catalyst to help you cap off 2018 and start 2019 in deep communion with the Lord.

If J. Alec Motyer is not on your list of authors to read, it’s probably about time to get to know him. Though he recently entered his heavenly abode (August 2016), Motyer’s voice is still very present through his numerous commentaries, devotional books, and other writings. For me, reading Motyer was like unearthing a gold mine of Old Testament theology. I haven’t yet seen writings on the Old Testament that contain more sound scholarship and devotional warmth than Motyer. He takes a largely neglected and misunderstood section of scripture and reminds readers that the Old Testament is flavorful and vital food for our souls.

How Do You Feel About The Old Testament?Motyer opens this book with a much-needed question: “Do you find the Old Testament more than a little bit daunting?” This is a question many people will answer with, “yes, of course!”. This book is written to help those who not only feel it is daunting, but also carry a misguided view that keeps us from actually reading the Old Testament much. Notice that I said “us”. I, too, do not read much of the Old Testament and feel lost in a foreign world that I have been told doesn’t correlate with the New Testament Christian experience.

A Devotional WorkMotyer traces 6 Old Testament themes throughout this devotional book. Why do I consider it devotional? Frankly, because Motyer clearly states in the introduction that “the readings are more important than the introductions, so if you find any chapter best left for later, why not get on with the readings and then come back to it?” He desires communion with God in His inspired Word rather than merely reading his words and missing out on the treasures of the scriptures themselves. For each major theme, he offers 6 days of readings with some brief commentary to supplement the readings.

The 6 themes he shares will help readers enjoy the Old Testament in a more organized and accessible way than they may have tried before. Rather than aimlessly picking up in a random place or dreadfully trudging through the law with no concept of what’s going on, Motyer gives brief overviews of the themes of history, religion, worship, prophecy, wisdom, and God as they present themselves in the Old Testament. In the appendix, he also provides 24 weeks worth of short daily readings with more brief commentary to help readers explore the riches of the Old Testament for themselves.

A Swiss Army KnifeSwiss army knives are known for their numerous practical uses. Motyer has presented the Church with a swiss army knife on the Old Testament. This book could be used for personal devotion, discipleship, small group classes, or even a sermon series. The six themes are easily identifiable, and the readings are brief enough to illustrate the theme while not forcing the theme onto the biblical text. The commentary is brief enough to illuminate some truths in the passages while also giving readers the hunger to do more digging for themselves.

Preaching For The Rest Of Us is a tool for every preacher’s toolbox! It is a small book that packs a lot of punch. It’s biblical, practical, and focused on preaching the biblical text well.This is a book for pastors and preachers. It is especially useful for pastors who desire to preach well but may not have time to mine the depths of all the wonderful literature on expository preaching. Even the seasoned pastor could use this book as a resource to grow in their preaching and make sure they are preaching text-driven sermons.

Immensely Practical and Pastoral

Preaching For The Rest Of Us is written with a practical emphasis. From the introduction, it is clear that Gallaty and Smith want you to use this book, not just read it and have it in your collection of preaching books. Instead, they urge readers to “prepare a sermon as you read this book” (p.xvii). In two main sections, Interpretation and Communication, Gallaty and Smith lay out how to understand the meaning of a text and how to take that text and its meaning to hearers today.

The chief desire of the authors is for pastors to preach Christ well. For pastors, this is our calling and our work. If done well, God will be glorified. If done poorly, we will preach man-centered sermons loosely based on a passage of scripture. This is a failure to fulfill our calling to build up and equip the saints for the work of ministry. For church members, biblical preaching is vital for our spiritual growth.

Driven By Biblical Desires

“Let the text breathe. You are free from having to cram it into a structure you build or fear your sermon will sound too much like someone else” (p. 31). The bible is preached best when the bible itself is preached. The Bible, in its original context, should be the focal point of our sermons. Gallaty and Smith spend time showing various genres of scripture and giving examples of how to interpret those genres properly. They emphasize that much effort must be given to the process of reading and interpretation. And lest we get too academic in focus, Gallaty and Smith remind readers to be “praying and meditating on what (we) are reading” (p.39).

Devoted To Effective Communication

Since preaching is such an intricate and challenging task, “we must constantly evaluate our preaching” (p.99). Examination of how we communicate truth will lead to better preaching. Preachers must be able translate (craft what we will preach), explain, and give exhortation from the biblical text. We need to use introductions and conclusions to aid our hearers in receiving the word. We need to preach the spirit and emotion of passages. And finally, we need to call people to respond to God’s word—both for initial faith and continuing obedience.

Try It Yourself

I’ll be honest. I hate when authors tell me what to do! If I’m reading a good book, I don’t like to put it down to do something else— I’m reading! But I actually used this book to prepare for a recent sermon. It was remarkably simple to follow their guidance in studying and understanding the passage. I used their chapters on communication to deliver the text with adequate bridges to my context as well effective illustrations.

I’ll be honest again. It didn’t feel like a great sermon. But it was a text-driven sermon that spurred my listeners to respond to God’s Word. I didn’t miraculously become a better preacher in just one attempt at following the principles of this book! You won’t either!

No Showboating Allowed

There is no showboating in this book. The authors are honest that they didn’t learn to preach until after seminary. This is both humbling and encouraging. They admitted that it is rare to feel like you nailed it this week. I am thankful for that. There is not a feeling of inferiority that comes from reading this book. The feelings of inferiority and failure in our preaching should come from a failure to rely on God in study, preparation and preaching of the biblical text, not from the delivery style or audience response. As we grow in our preaching, we will likely have a few of those better sermons.

Conclusion​As a bi-vocational preaching elder, time is of the essence for me. I have to devote time to preparing sermons, and I have to get the main point of a biblical text right. As one who seeks to “rightly divide” God’s word, I strive to do that well (2 Tim 2:15). Preaching For The Rest Of Us has helped me do just that. I highly recommend this book. But don’t just read it—that’ll be a waste of your time. Use it, and use it often. And don’t forget to check out the appendix! There’s some great stuff back there!

Author

Chrys Jones is a Christian, husband, father of three, pastor, and teacher. He is also a recording artist and producer for Christcentric Records and a book briefer for Accelerate Books. In his free time, Chrys loves to spend time with his family, roast coffee, read good books, and listen to beat tapes and jazz.